Well Done
The clash of steel rang out sharply.
“Ah! Five to two! He gives up another point!”
Rubelia staggered backward as an attack landed on her shoulder. What’s going on? His movements suddenly…? The flow she had maintained so smoothly shattered in an instant.
“Five to three! Oh dear, it looks like the momentum is shifting!”
The atmosphere that had been comfortably dominating Kairen flipped completely. Kairen swung his sword as if it were dragging him along by force.
What did he do?
Rubelia noticed something suspicious. But she had no time to protest.
Steel clashed again. This time Rubelia widened the distance as much as possible and refused to surrender another point.
No mistake about it. He’s clearly different from before. So what now?
The pursuit continued without pause.
“Huff… huff…”
Kairen was breathing hard. Moving his body according to the sword’s will rather than his own exhausted him far more quickly.
“In that case…”
Rubelia didn’t miss the opening.
“Ah! Rubelia brings it back on track! Six to three!”
The moment Kairen gasped for air, Rubelia slipped in swiftly and scored a clean hit. Whether by chance or fate, the sword had frozen in place at that exact instant.
Stay calm. First I need to understand the principle behind that sword.
The instant Rubelia realized Kairen’s blade was a demonic sword, she pinpointed the key factor.
Is it a demonic sword with its own will? No. For that, the sword is far too docile. That type usually behaves more like a wild beast given the shape of a blade…
Rubelia had built a solid theoretical foundation in magic from a young age through advanced self-study. Even without seeing something firsthand, her theoretical base was firm enough that she quickly narrowed down the possibilities through elimination.
It must be mana that doesn’t register on standard mana detection spells. Then it’s definitely demonic swordsmanship. The power source is probably that gem…
At the same time, Rubelia dodged Kairen’s attacks and gradually pieced together a way to defeat him.
When does it activate? On Kairen’s command? Or does it react to some kind of subconscious trigger?
“Huff… huff… Stop running and fight me!”
Aggression. When the wielder clearly recognizes a target and displays hostility, the sword moves on its own.
And with that, Rubelia made her decision. She had a strategy to win.
She widened the distance as much as possible and waited for the right moment.
“You… bastard!”
“......”
The instant Kairen paused his will to attack for the briefest moment—
“Ugh!”
Kairen wasn’t swinging the sword; it looked like the sword was dragging him. His body, which would have moved efficiently if under his own control, flailed wildly.
“Huff… huff…”
Because of that, Kairen had to catch his breath at regular intervals, growing increasingly fatigued.
“Now!”
Rubelia didn’t miss the chance.
“Ugh!”
She closed in on Kairen instantly, exploiting that hesitation of less than a second.
“Ah! Seven to three!”
Rubelia had seized complete control of the match.
“Damn it!” Kairen roared in fury.
“Break time!”
“Breaks are not permitted without special reason.”
“Reason? I have one!”
Ignoring the referee, Kairen strode forward.
“I’m changing weapons.”
“Weapons?”
With a soft ring, Kairen drew another sword. It was a different longsword embedded with a gem.
“I’m changing tactics too.”
“Oh? You’re going for dual wielding?”
“That’s right!”
Kairen gripped a longsword in each hand and pressed the gem on the newly drawn blade, activating its mana.
“......”
Rubelia stepped back warily.
“Then we will resume the match!”
The referee raised his hand to signal the restart.
“Kwaaaah!”
Kairen charged with a monstrous roar. The two swords in his hands slashed wildly.
“Oho! Did the new tactic work? He scores a point—seven to four!”
Rubelia caught her breath for a moment.
Is dual wielding faster? No… Dual blades were originally a tactic meant for speed, so there shouldn’t be a huge difference. This is…
She focused again, analyzing the strategy.
This is purely the influence of the demonic swords. With a demonic blade in each hand rampaging independently, the speed increases.
She widened the distance once more. This time she abandoned defense almost entirely, focusing solely on evasion.
And if this kind of fight repeats…
She observed her opponent’s condition meticulously.
“Huff… huff…”
The moment Kairen tried to catch his breath again—
She dove in deep.
“Oh no! He counters! Seven to five!”
“Ugh…”
But it wasn’t easy. The fleeting instant that appeared when he held only one sword had grown even shorter.
They say dual wielding excels at defense, don’t they? There’s no opening to slip through.
Rubelia felt a twinge of frustration.
If it were Leonia or Brika, they could have exploited even that instant. But I guess this is my limit…
At the same time, memories of the brief training she had received from Selene flashed through her mind like a revolving lantern.
“Ugh…”
She had expected it, but Selene was truly monstrously strong, just as the rumors said. Even when facing Leonia she had felt an insurmountable wall, yet Selene felt like she existed on an entirely different plane.
“This is as far as I go.”
“Rubelia. Are you giving up?”
“......”
“Did you… do your best?”
“Ugh… That’s such a cheap thing to say.”
Every time Selene spoke in that expressionless tone, it provoked Rubelia.
“Fine. One more time!”
“Rubelia. You can’t analyze.”
“Analyze? You’re saying I can’t analyze?”
Though she hadn’t meant to, some of Selene’s words seemed to strike at her pride.
“No, no. That’s not what I meant! I know I lack real combat experience. But I stayed up all night studying theory!”
“(tilts head)”
“Aack! Don’t look at me with that confused expression!”
Yet the result of those conversations was always new insight for Rubelia.
“Rubelia. You don’t analyze yourself.”
“Pardon?”
“Rubelia doesn’t use swordsmanship for herself.”
“What… do you mean by that?”
“Swordsmanship suited to the situation. Swordsmanship advantageous to your body. Swordsmanship disadvantageous to your opponent.”
“......”
“That… is true real combat.”
The moment that day’s lesson flashed through her mind like a revolving lantern—
Clang.
Rubelia’s movements changed once again.
This isn’t true dual wielding.
She began controlling the distance far more skillfully than before.
True dual wielding is when two blades divide roles and perform them in harmony.
After carefully observing the movement of both swords, Rubelia finally reached a conclusion.
This is just two separate swords doing whatever they want!
Clang. Clang.
“Wait!”
“What?”
“I want a break too!”
“What?”
Having skillfully blocked Kairen’s swords, Rubelia suddenly called for a halt.
“What kind of trick is this…”
“I’m changing tactics too.”
With a soft ring, Rubelia paused the duel for a moment, retrieved a shortsword from below the arena, and gripped it in her other hand. Then she returned to the stage and pointed it at Kairen.
“I’ll show you what real dual wielding looks like.”
At least in theory.
The moment she spoke, the match resumed at a furious pace.
“Don’t pull any dirty tricks!”
Kairen charged again with a roar.
Clang.
Rubelia blocked both blades at once, then immediately retreated.
Not yet.
She maintained maximum distance without stepping completely out of range.
“Haaaaah!”
Kairen roared again and moved his swords. The blades responded as if alive, lunging at an enemy barely within reach. To cover that distance they attempted thrusts.
Whoosh. Whoosh.
Both blades moved at the same time.
“Now!”
Rubelia ducked low to avoid the two longswords thrusting toward a single point. She bent so deeply she nearly touched the ground.
“Hup!”
Then she immediately slipped between the two longswords.
Whoosh.
The two blades, sensing her movement, swung downward like magnets drawn to her.
Clang.
Rubelia blocked both longswords at once with the shortsword in her left hand.
The moment the two longswords shuddered and tried to continue their next motion, Rubelia didn’t stop. She thrust out her right arm.
The instant her rapier drew a clean arc—
“Ugh!”
The rapier sliced across Kairen’s thigh.
“Eight to five! She’s unstoppable!”
Cheers erupted from the spectators.
Rubelia retreated and caught her breath again.
So that’s it.
The two mana-infused longswords were certainly powerful. They clearly overwhelmed Rubelia’s swordsmanship skill. But the ones possessing that overwhelming power were the two demonic swords, not Kairen.
Having understood that, Rubelia refined her tactics. Instead of facing the longswords, she would face Kairen himself—by aiming for the moments when the longswords, stretched out in thrusts, became rigid due to their owner’s physical limits.
So this is how it’s done.
“Kwaaaah!”
Kairen roared in rage and swung his swords through empty air.
“Hey, Kairen. The match hasn’t resumed yet.”
The referee bluntly stopped him after seeing the swords swing toward Rubelia without their owner’s awareness.
Kairen panted heavily, trying to steady his breathing.
“All right! Let’s begin again!”
The duel resumed.
Clang.
Rubelia repeated the same tactic—widening the distance and waiting for an opportunity.
Whoosh.
The two swords, unable to resist their instincts, lunged forward in thrusts once more. Rubelia ducked again and closed in.
Clang.
She blocked both blades with her shortsword.
Whoosh.
She swung her rapier. Another point was about to be scored.
“Huh?!”
Or so she thought. A heavy impact stopped her rapier.
“Huff… huff… You think I’d fall for the same trick twice?!”
The two swords remained still. What had moved was Kairen’s foot.
“That’s ruled as defense! Rubelia!”
Kairen’s sturdy boot sole had blocked her blade.
Damn it!
Rubelia was shaken. This was her failure. She hadn’t expected him to adapt so flexibly.
Am I going to lose a point?
But it was fine. The score was eight to five. Even if she gave up one point, the gap remained large.
Still…
However.
I absolutely hate losing to someone this pathetic even once!
Deep in her heart, Rubelia’s instinct refused to accept defeat.
I don’t want to lose!
The moment that single cry from the depths of her soul echoed through her mind—
I don’t want to lose I don’t want to lose I don’t want to lose I don’t want to lose I don’t want to lose I don’t want to lose I don’t want to lose I don’t want to lose I don’t want to lose I don’t want to lose I don’t want to lose I don’t want to lose I don’t want to lose I don’t want to lose I don’t want to lose I don’t want to lose I don’t want to lose
Her instinct, breaking past reason, moved her body unconsciously.
Crack!
The sound of something shattering echoed throughout the entire arena.